Rock ‘n’ Roll documentaries are the scum of the earth. Usually, they are self-indulgent crap that bores me to tears. However, once in a while a band comes along with brilliant music and the rare ability to pull off a compelling movie to boot. While rumaging through the Netflix vaults I came across four prize pigs. No prissy limo rides or sold out stadiums here; instead we have bands living and playing out of their van and live concerts from mental institutions and nursing homes.

Experiment Volume 3: Rock 'n' Roll Films

Half Japanese, The Butthole Surfers and The Cramps were three of the craziest, most influential bands raging across America in the 80s. These bands made interesting music and equally compelling films. In the new millennium Denver band Friends Forever, seem poised to take the reigns from the aforementioned. And do so in style, creating an amazing DIY film in the process.

Friends Forever
(2001) Dir. Ben Wolfinsohn 80 min.

In my mind, this is the greatest rock ‘n’ roll movie ever made. Forget “Stop Making Sense” or “Gimme Shelter” this is musical insanity at its finest. Friends Forever is a two-piece noise band from Denver, who admittedly make the worst music ever. Sounds good so far, however this duo is practically homeless and lives out of a beat-up VW bus…with three dogs. The band travels around the country playing in parking lots out of their van. Noise, smoke, a full lighting rig and a healthy dose of chaos and fireworks follow them wherever they go. These two encapsulate the DIY punk mindset better than anyone today.

I’ve never seen a music documentary that made me go through so much emotion as “Friends Forever”. This film is unbelievably complex and never shows its hand. The film starts off looking like a comedic tour of a couple lunatics in a van. Later, I began to feel the sense of pride that Friends Forever felt for themselves. These two homeless guys are going outside of the normal underground conventions in an attempt to save rock ‘n’ roll. But as the film winds down I seriously began to question their mental state as the guitarist sets his ax ablaze and smashes it, because the guitar told him his girlfriend had been unfaithful. Or when they drove non-stop from Denver to NYC just to play in front of the guy who made “The Toxic Avenger,” this movie spirals into a compellingly disturbing work in a hurry.

Whether these two are just going around for a laugh, actually trying to save rock or just a couple of nut-jobs in a van, “Friends Forever” is probably the best road documentary I’ve ever seen. Without a doubt, this will be seen as one of the first cult movies of the new millennium.

Half Japanese: The Band that would be King
(1993) 90 min.

Quick history lesson: Half Japanese sound like two little boys who found their siblings band equipment. They have no idea how to play, but have enough enthusiasm to fill a hundred rock bands. Half Japanese has been hailed by the likes of Kurt Cobain and Sonic Youth as one of the greatest bands ever. Truly, no one else comes close to their juvenile racket.

“The Band that Would be King” focuses on Half Japanese masterminds Jad and David Fair. Various industry insiders, musicians and journalist comment on why their debut “1/2 Gentlemen, Not Beasts” should be seen as the Rosetta Stone of rock and perhaps even better than “Exile on Main Street?” It’s hard to tell whether anyone is serious here, at one point the band is squawking away to a crowd of grandparents at a nursing home. If they’re serious, it’s a testament to the band, if it’s a joke they’ve out Spinal Tapped Spinal Tap. Either way, Half Japanese is an amazing band and this movie, along their albums are not to be missed.  

Butthole Surfers: Third Eye Sees All
(2002) 80 Min.

The Butthole Surfers were vulgar, artistic and completely out-of-their-minds. Michael Azzerad’s book “Our Band Could Be Your Life” details the insanity of the band and its live show in jaw dropping detail. During their heyday in the 80s, the band used smoke machines, several strobe lights, films of automobile accidents and penile reconstruction surgeries, fake blood, nudity and fire amongst other props to propel their bad acid trip-cum nightmare music into otherworldly realms.

I was disappointed to find that “Third Eye” was too early in the band’s career to see them employing any of these insanities. Rather it’s a standard live show from an anything but standard Texas psycho band. The saving grace of this DVD is the interviews between songs. The band is lying in bed completely out of their minds on innumerable drugs, while being interviewed. It’s completely Dadaist babble, but is hilarious to watch.

This movie isn’t really a good place to start if you’re only familiar with the band’s 90s radio hit “Pepper.” This movie is for the hard-core fans that were there in the 80s, as this band became the biggest threat to sanity in Regan’s America.

Cramps: Live at the Napa State Mental Institution
(1983) 20min.

It’s exactly what it sounds like. Trashy rockabilly punks the Cramps paid a visit to a mental institution on their 1978 tour. On this grainy, black and white film we see the band struggle in what would have happened if John Waters directed “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.”

As the Cramps begin to stomp out their twangy punk, various mental patients shake and scream on stage. The highlight comes as singer Lux Interior wrestles with one overzealous patient for the microphone as the patient attempts to sing.

This movie is pure mayhem captured on film. It’s like watching footage of a riot: you know it’s wrong—but damn it’s entertaining.

More NetfliXperiments:

· NetfliXperiments Volume 2: Ouch! My Head Hurts--Foreign Films
· NetfliXperiments Volume 1: Highway Horror & Hillbilly Fishermen

Rent DVDs from Netflix - 13,000 titles - Free Shipping - No Late Fees!